Hanwha Group (Chairman Kim Seung-yeon) held an educational program for children’s space science, “Lift-off, my NURI: Launching My Own Universe,” on November 22 at the KAIST Yuseong-gu campus in Daejeon. This event was organized to commemorate the fourth launch of the Nuri rocket, scheduled for November 27.
A total of 80 elementary school students from 4th to 6th grade nationwide participated as “young researchers.” Through an experiential education course hosted by Hanwha Group and with collaborative institutions including the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA), Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), and KAIST, participants learned the basic principles of space science as well as the actual processes involved in rocket launches.
“Lift-off, my NURI” consisted of three sessions: ▲ Nuri Rocket Story Lecture ▲ Space Science Experience ▲ Rocket Design and Launch. It was conducted in a hands-on manner that allowed participating students to engage with science more easily and interestingly through direct observation, listening, and hands-on activities.
In the first session, “WELCOME ABOARD,” Kim Jin-hyuk, a senior researcher from KARI’s Launch Engine Team, who participated in the development of the Nuri rocket engine, was the speaker. He explained the journey of developing the Nuri rocket independently, the preparation process for launches, the flight procedures, and future plans for Korea’s space development.
Subsequently, three students, including Bae Soyul, a 3rd grader from Daegu Chilgok Middle School and a graduate of Hanwha Group’s space education program “Pebbles of the Universe,” took the stage to share their experiences of challenging space. They conveyed their experiences of nurturing dreams through science and provided inspiration to the participating students.
In the second session, “MISSION! PROJECT NURI,” science creators Coco and Bora led the proceedings. Through small experiments, participants practiced scientific concepts such as the principles of rocket propulsion and the relationship between gravity and pressure to gain a more concrete understanding of space.
In the final session, “Lift-off, my NURI,” students launched the three-stage water rockets they had made outdoors. Cheers erupted on site whenever the rockets soared powerfully into the sky.
Seong Min-geon, a 5th grader from Jeju Daejeongse Elementary School, said, “It was really amazing to see the rocket I made fly high,” and expressed, “I want to become an astronaut when I grow up. I hope the Nuri rocket launching next week will soar spectacularly like my rocket.”
A Hanwha Group representative stated, “We hope that this program, organized in celebration of the fourth launch of the Nuri rocket, will offer children the joy of science and inspire curiosity about space,” and added, “Hanwha will continue to expand educational programs so that future generations can challenge toward their own universe.”